1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing of multimedia data having data related to both image and sound. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reproducing multimedia data by which an image included in multimedia data is printed and is reproduced together with sound.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, multimedia data generated in a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a mobile phone, includes both audio data and video data. When such multimedia data is reproduced in a personal computer (PC), both an image corresponding to video data and sound corresponding to audio data can be synchronized with each other and reproduced together.
Meanwhile, multimedia data may be reproduced using a printer (not using a reproducing apparatus, such as a PC). In this way, U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,085 discloses a conventional apparatus for reproducing multimedia data using a printer entitled by “Multimedia Job Tickets for Printing Machines”.
Hereinafter, a conventional method for reproducing multimedia data disclosed in the above U.S. Patent will be described. First, data in which image data is mixed with multimedia data is generated in a personal computer. Job ticket data is stored in a queue memory, and print data corresponding to an image to be actually printed is stored in a compiler, sent to a printer, and printed. A branching means extracts multimedia data from job ticket information and provides the extracted multimedia data to a synthesizer. In this case, the synthesizer provides the extracted multimedia data to a speaker, and the speaker reproduces sound corresponding to the extracted multimedia data. Here, reproduced sound, such as multimedia data contained in the job ticket data is a user's instruction, such as “Bind the printed books in blue covers,” for example.
In conventional methods for reproducing multimedia data including the above-described method, an image corresponding to video data contained in multimedia data is printed, and simultaneously, sound corresponding to audio data can be reproduced. However, sound is not reproduced together with the image but separately reproduced. Thus, when the multimedia data includes video data and audio data for one movie, that is, when an image corresponding to video data contained in the multimedia data and sound corresponding to audio data need to be reproduced in time synchronization with each other and reproduced together, in the conventional methods for reproducing multimedia, sound cannot be reproduced while printing the image. In other words, only the image is printed, and sound is lost.
For example, a first user can take a photograph or video using a portable camcorder or a mobile phone with a built-in digital camera and transmit motion picture data which is multimedia data corresponding to a photographing result to a second user. When the second user receives the motion picture data from the first user and prints the motion picture transmitted by the first user using the conventional method for reproducing multimedia data, the second user cannot reproduce sound contained in the motion picture simultaneously.